There were many instances of illegal technology and arms transfers in the early 1990s, much of it to Iraq in spite of the widespread international embargo on that country.
In many cases the transfers went undetected for some time.
When discovered, the perpetrators usually received light sentences.
Arms, chemicals, hot-rolled steel, rocket engine pumps, radar equipment were all sent in to Iraq through Jordan from Britain, and from the Soviet Union, West Germany, Chile, and from a company in Switzerland.
During the same period there were illegal transfers of technical information to East Germany and other Soviet bloc countries from individuals in the United States and Japan.
Toshiba Company of Japan admitted exporting semiconductors to 27 communist nations.
South Africa was another recipient of illegal military technology transfers.
Some missile technology was smuggled in and out of the US and South Africa and eventually to China.
A Japanese company was found guilty of illegally exporting missile parts to Iran.
A Korean-American man was arrested for try to export nerve gas bombs and other weapons to Iran.
Both Britain and West Germany indicted several companies and individual for illegal transfers during this time period.
Export regulations in the US prohibited the sale of lasers.
Federal agents discovered that the lasers were being shipped to Britain, China, the Soviet Union and other countries.
Authorities also accused an Egyptian-American man of attempting to smuggle missile components to Egypt.
